serra



Feb. 19 1924. 1,484,381

A. SERRA WAR? KNITTING MACHINE original Filed Dec. 5. 192s 7 'sheets-Sheet 1 A. SERRA wARP xNi'TTING MACHINE Feb. 19, 1924.`

Original Filed Dec. 5, 1925 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 19, 1924. A. SERRA WARP KNITTING MACHINE 7 sheets-Sheet Original Filed Dec. 5,l 1923 Feb. 19, 1,924;

A. SERRA wim? xNI'r'rInG MACHINE original Filed Dec. 5, 1923 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 V /NVENZJR 'E Feb. 19, 1924.`

' A. SERRA WAR? KNITTING MACHINE Original Filed neo. 5, 192s 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Feb. 19, 1924. 1,484,381

A. SERRA WAR? KNITTING MACHINE original Filed nec. s, 192s 7 sheets-sheet 7 #vrt/Virol? Patented Feb. 19, 1,924.

[UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUSTIN SER-RA, OFESSOMSSURMAB-NE, FRANCE.

Y WARP-KNITTING MACHINE."

Original application led December 5, 1923, Serial No. 678,787. Divided and this application iled January 11, 1924. Serial No, 685,643.

To all whom. it may coa-cern.'

Be it known that l, AUGUSTIN SERRA, a French subject, of Essomes sur-Marne, Aisne, France, manufacturer, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Warp-Knitting Machines, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a warp knitting machine for the manufacture of 4an improved knitted fabric, comprising two sets of threads in which each individual thread is formed into a series of closed loops, each node is formed by the intermeshingof a plurality of loops of separate threads, and the threads are all pulled tight at the nodes.

One such fabric, which is semi-transparent, unladderabl-e, and slightly elastic longitndinally, and highly elastic transversely, is described and claimed in my co-pending pat Cil ent application No.v 678,787, of which this is a division. Thepresent invention is also a` continuation in part of my copendin ap,- plication for Letters `Patent of the S. for improvements in method and means for the manufacture of knitted fabrics, filed Dec. l1, 1922, Serial No. 606,223.

The tightening of the threads at the nodes is obtained by causing the fabric to be pulled on the needles, contrary to the usual practice with warp knit-ting machines, in which the fabric is always loosely suspended. Toobtain a high degree of transparency, the length of thread fed per stitch ispmade greater than usual; this is obtained by giving the guide. wiresa greater vertical movement than that required merely to pass the threads over the needles. Otherwise, `the machine works in the usual manner; the two sets of parallel threads are threaded through the eyes of the guide wires fixed to two carriers, the two carriersV being moved up and down simultaneously, but are shogged Voff oppositely in the direction of the width of the fabric, in a manner well known in warp knitting machines.

I append drawings illustrating my inven-V tion by way of example, as applied to a rectilinear knitting machine. y

Fig. 1 isadiagrammatic view, on an enlarged scale, of one of the fabrics made by a machine according to the present invention. f

Figs. 2 `to 6 are diagrammatic views in side elevation, showing a cycle ofrelative positions ofthe threads, needles, sinkers,

guide wires and pressers a-t five different instants during the formation'. of a row of stitches.

Figs. 7 to 11are diagrammatic views in front of the. needles corresponding toFigs. 2 to 6. v

Fig.y 12 is a partial cross section of the machine, showing the .actuating device of the presser, and the device forI effecting the up-and-down movement ofthe plates which hold thetwo setsof guide wires.`

Fig. 13 Ais a similar viewshowing the needle holder plates, the actuating devices for the guide wires and sinkers, and the rollers from which the threads are unwound and the roller on which the fabric is wound.

.Fig 141 is a front. View of the cam shaft which effects .the different movements ofv the machine. l

Fig. 15 is a front view, and

Fig. 16 is a side viewto a larger scale of the adjustable cam'which effects the lateral tosand-fro movements of the guide wire carriers.

Fig. 17 is a` perspective view illustrating diagrainmatically the Dawson wheel and other mechanism which produces the lateral toandfro movements of the guide wire carriers.

Referring,r t-o Fig. 1, the threads marked by the odd numbers, V1, 3, 5,v arethreaded through the eyes of one set of'guide wires or yarn guides J, fixed to the vcarrier j. Those marked by the even numbers, 2, 4 6, are threaded through the eyes of the .other set of. guide wires or yarn guides K fixed to the carrier 7c. Following one of the threads, say that marked `3, it is seen that it is formed into. a series of closed loops. At thenode A. it intermeshes with the threads. 1, 2, and 41; at the node B itV intermeshes with the threads 1, 2, and 4; .at the node C it intermeshes with the threads 1, 5, and 6;;aty the node D' it intermeshes with the threads 4, 5 andV 6. Thus the thread 3 intermeshes directly with the five threads 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6. The full course of the thread 3 throughout the fabric. is made up of repetitionsof the element between the nodes B and E, the node E being exactly similar to the node B. The nodes or stitches are all pulled together tightlyvas described hereinafter, thus ensuring that'in the event. of a thread breaking at any point, its ends are held tightly .lowered and presses the needles W'.

by five other threads, so that ladde'ring is eifectively prevented. In order to show clearly the intermeshing of the various threads` the tightening at the nodes is not shown in the drawing'. Between the nodes, the fabric may be made of open texture as shown. so that transparency may be given as desired.

VReferring now to Figs. 2 to ll, fw designates the needle carriers, in'which are fixed the needles W. The needle carriers are fixed and bolted to the frame of the machine. In Figs. 2 and 7, the sinker carriers u e, to which are fixed the sinkers az, are at a cer tain distance from the frame, the presser 19 raised clear of the needles, and the guide wires are at their lowest position. Y

After a 'fraction of a turnof the motor shaft, the members are in the position shown in Figs. 3 and 8. The sinker carvriers u fz: and the presser' have not moved fromv their positions as shown in Fig. 2, but the guide wires are raised. At the position of Figs. 3 and 8, the guide wires have been islioggecl, that is, moved transversely by means of the arrangement shown in Fig. i7, which is described hereinafter. Relatively to the'observer in Fig. 3, J has approached and K receded, fora distance corresponding to the space between two consecutive needles WT, or (which amounts to the same thing) between two sinkers since one needle is placed between each sinker.

'The movement continuing, the sinker carriers f1.1, v draws slightly nearer to the frame of the machine, and the guide wires descend, bringing the threads below the level of the needles as shown in Figs. 4 and 9. "Here it is to be observed that if the individual needle W is the same vin both Figs. ande, then the individual guide wires J and K shown in Fig. 4, are different from those shown in Fig. 3, owing to the said lateral displacement' of the guide Wire carriers.

The sinker carrier u o then begins to move away from the frame as the presser 19 is At this instant the sinkcr` carrier is raised together the machine.

with'the guide wires, (Figs. 5 and 9) but the stitches cannot leave the needles, since the presser 19 presses on the threads and the stitches which have just been formed.`

The sinkers are completely7 disengaged fromy the threads, andthe sinker carrier continues to move away from the frame of v The beards of the needles being kept closed by the presser, the said movement of the sinker carrier knocks over Vthe stitches from the needles, and the pressin the movement thus far describechthc threads passing through the eyes of the guide wires J1, J 2, J 3, have been passed over and under the needles W2, NVS, lll', respectively, while the threads pass-ing through the eyes of the guide wires Kn K2', K3 have been passed over and under the needles 71, W2, YV, respectively, and a row of stitches has been formed. In the formation of the next row of stitches, the up and down movement of the guide wires and theirmovements of approaching' and receding from the needles takes place exactly as described with reference to Figs. 2 to 11, but the sh'ogging movements of the guide wires at the various phases are in ther opposite directions to those described, that is the threads passing through the eyes of the guide Wires J1, J 2, J are passed over and under the needles W1, W2, lV, respectively,

while the threads passing through the eyesA threads and pulling them tightly together at the nodes of the fabric, and of feeding a length of the thread togive the desired j length of mesh between the nodes.

lt'is also to be observed that the sinker `carrier plates '11 e, have a movement of considerable amplitude relatively to the machine both vertically and horizontally. These movements are effected by the mechanism hereinafter set forth.

l The said tension on theI threads andthe longitudinal tension applied to the web of fabric as it 'is formed and wound on the rolle er, as referred to hereinafter, is ofV course accompanied by a tension on the threads passing transverselyffrom needle to needle during the formation of the rows of stitches. lVhen the stitches are knocked oil from the needles, the transverse tension on the fabric gradually becomes less and less as the rows of stitches move away from the needles. Therefore the width of the web of completed fabric is very considerably less than that at the needles during the formation of the stitches. Accordingly, the fabric is very eXtensible laterally; it'can be stretched to the full width itporiginally had at the needles without any relative displacement of the threads where they intermesh at the nodes. Then th-e web of fabric is removed from the roller on which it is Wound in the machine, and the longitudinal tension .is thereby removed. the :fabric contracts longitudinally. and can again be stretched to its a'ginal length, without relative displacelmi rse

nient of the threads where they intermesh at thenodes. elastic. longitudinally, rand highly elastic laterally. This property vrenders the fabric particularly adaptable for the manufacture movements. The dipping movements of the guide wiie carriers 7c of which the eyes of the guide wires J and K serve to guide the threads Z1 and m1 from the beams Z and m, are eifectedby means of the cam c, which by pressing on a roller 'a causes a lever o, pivoted at 01, (Figl) to oscillate.

Near its upper end this lever `is connected to an adjustable rod p, connected'in turn by means of a rod or blade q, to a support 1'- to whiclt are fastened the carriers j, 7c. 'The return ofthese latter is effected by the action of the cam a on a roller s, carried by a lever t, pivoted at t1, to the fra-ine of the machiner and to the end of which is secured the support 1. The movement given by the vcam (l, is greater than is usual in knitting machines, and serves not only .for the formation of an open mesh, butl also for the purpose in combination with the means to be hereinafter described, of producing astretching of the threads and the formation of a tightened node adapted to prevent laddering in the event of a thread being broken.

The raising of the plates u, c, which cari-y the sinkers is effected by means of the cam e, which through the medium of the roller ,i/ causes the lever. .2 to pivot on its axis el. The horizontalv to-and-ffro vmovement of the said plates relatively to 12).- The first acts through the ymedium of a roller Q, on the lever 3 hinged at 4; the second acts through the roller 5, on the lever 6, also hinged at 1. The levers 3 and 6 are connected together by an arm '7 bent at right angles at its end 8, and a spring 9 interposed between this bent end and a lug 10 of the lever 3, serves to compensate for the play produced by wear, and ensures the desired quietness of movement of the levers. The transmission of the to-and-fro movement to the plates u, o, is effected by means of an adjustable rod 11, of which the heads 12, 13 are respectively connected to the lever 6, and to a lug 111 of the plate a.

The cams f and g each have a radially adjustable block 15, lodged in a recess 16 of thc cam. Adjustable bearing screws 17 and clamping screws 1S are provided to fasten the adjustable block in its set position. The said cams come into action when the stitches are about to be knocked off the Thus, the fabric is slightly after the position lwhich imparts a dipping movement there.-

to, through the medium` of a. roller 20, carried by a lever 21, hinged at 22, and of which the other end is secured to the support of the presser. The raising of this latter is effected by a spring 23 hooked at one end, to the end of the lever 21, and at the other end to a hook 24 of the machine.

Referring now to Fig. 17 which shows the shogging mechanism'for effecting the to-andfro movement of the guide wires lin a plane perpendicular to that of the drawing Fig. 2, the plate y' is fixed on a bar ,7'2 movable in a slide on the machine; the plate 7c is carried by a similar bar ,102. The bai' 7'2 is coupledby a double arm 7c3 i, to a rod fr", pai'- allel to the rod and movable in the same slide. Each of the rods j5 7:5, carries at its end a roller j, la, on which a Dawson wheel j?, k7, presses. Such a Dawson wheel is described and illustrated on page 46 of part 1 ofy the English translation of the German book Technology of Framework Knitting by Villkomin, translated by Howlett and published by Kent & Co., London, 1885, the illustrations being given in Fig. 80, and the following figures in the diagrams accompanying such book. The two discs comprising the Dawson wheel are keyed on the same shaft, which has an intermittent rotary motion imparted to it. On the periphery of. each disc steps are cut, the depth of each step corresponding with the distance which 'separates two consecutive needles lV, the

total depth corresponding to twice this distance. The speed ratios are calculated so that after each tui-ii of the motor shaft of the machine, the shaft which carries the discs turns a fraction of a revolution, such thatV the peripheries of the discs are displaced for a distance equal to the width of a step. It is to-be noticed that to each projection on the disc (i7, there corresponds a recesson the disc 707 and vice versa. The rollers jf and le, are n'iaintaiiied pressed against the peripheries of the respective discs by springs js and les, hooked to a part fixed to the frame of the machine.

The winding of the fabric is effected on a roller 26, provided with ratchet teeth 27, with a stop pawl 28 anda driving pawl 29. The latter is controlled by a lever 30, hinged at 31, and carrying at its end a roller 32, actuated by the cam Zi.

Iii known knitting machines, there is provided a lifting` device foi the roller 26, ai'- ranged in such a manner that it does not exert any pulling effort on the fabric. Ac-

cording to the present invention, on they contrary, a strong pull is exerted on the fabric for the purpose of stretching the threads, and ensuring the tightening of the knitted fabric comprising tivo Vwhich each individual threail is formed into a series et closed loops, each node is termed by the intermeshing ot a plurality ot loops oil.E separate threads, and the threads are all pulled tight at the nodes, said machine comprising means 'for maintaining the 'fabric' under tension' and for tightly pulling the nodes of the fabric, and means i'or giving the yarn guides a greater vertical niovem'ent at cach'stiteh than that required merely to pass the threads over the needles tor the purpose described. p

A Warp knitting machine `'for making a fabric comprising tivo 'sets of threads in which each individual thread is 'formed intoV a series ot closed loops, each node is formed by the intel-meshing of a plurality ot loops of separate threads, and the threads are all pulled tight at the nodes, said fabric being slightly elastic longitudinally, and highly elastic transversely, saidimachine comprising means 'for maintaining the fabric under tension and for tightly pulling the nodes of the fabric, and means for giving the yarn guides a greater vertical movement at each stitch than that required merely to pass the threads over the needles tor the purpose described.

8, it knitting machine for knitting a warp a sets of threads, in which each'individual thread l is formed into a series ot closed loops, each node is formed by the intermeshing ot' a phirality of loops o'l separate threads, andthe threads are all pulled tight at the nodes, said machine having means tor n'iaintaining the fabric under tension toi' tightly pulling the nodes of the fabric and means for controlling the to-and-fro movements of the thread feed, said last named means including `ams having extensions thereoi'i for Vgiving the yarn guides a greater vertical movement at each stitch than that required merely to pass the threads over the needles.

4t. A knitting machine 'tor knitting a Warp knitted 'fabric comprisingi` two sets ot threads in which each individual thread is formed iasaei cliiiie having means 't'or maintaining the fabricl under tension for tightly lpulling the nodes o'l: the fabric and means for controlling the to-and-tro movements of the thread iced, said last named means including camsV having extensions thereon, said extensions being in the form of adjustable blocks located each iii a recess .in said cams 'for giving the yarn guides a greater vertical movement at each stitch than that required merely to pass the threads over the needles.

5. A knitting machine for knitting a Warp knitted fabric con'iprising tivo sets ot threads in which each iiidividual. thread is `formed into a series of closed loops, each node is Ylbrn'ied by the intermeshing of a plurality oi loops et separate threads, and the threads are all pulled tight at the nodes, said machine including means for winding the knitted fabric under tension, on a roller operated by a ratchet and pawl device for tightly pulling the nodes et' the fabric and means Jfor giv-V ing the yarn guides a greater vertical movement at each stitch than that required merely to pass the threads over the needles.

t3. Iii a knitting n'iachiue lor knitting a Warp knitted fabric comprising tivo sets el threads in which each individual thread is ,termed into a series of closed loops, each node is termed by the intermesliing oit a plurality ot loops of separate threads, and the threads are all pulled tight at the nodes, means whereby the sinker carrier plates are given a long longitudinal to-and-t'ro movement by means of tivo cams with adjustable blocks, means uf'hereby the yarn guides are given a greater vertical movement at each stitch than that required merely to pass the threads overtlie needles, and including two other cams, and means whereby the rolling` up ot the iabric is performed under strong tensioin-.to lengthen tlie'stitches and to pull the threads tightly at the nodes.

In witness u'liereol, l. have hereunto set my handin presence ot tivo witnesses.

AUGUSTIN SERRA. Vl/vitnesses VILLLAM SIMON FRANK Raciingxn, Gracie PHILLIPS YOUNG. 

